Gareth Malone: "Music education has to fight its corner"

By Daniel Ross, 20th May 2014, 16:50

Choirmaster Gareth Malone has added his voice to the chorus of high-profile musicians who are speaking out against cuts to funding for music education.

Malone spoke to Classic FM's Sam Pittis after being announced as the recipient of the PPL Classical Award at the O2 Silver Clef Awards, making clear his opposition to proposed cuts to music and arts education.

"I think everyone has to fight their corner at the moment," he said. "We are in that era of difficulty right across the board. It's really important that everyone who is involved in music or music education keeps making that case and keeps trying to justify it."

Malone's comments come after both cellist Julian Lloyd Webber and trumpeter Alison Balsom spoke out about the proposed cuts.

Lloyd Webber spoke at the ISM conference in Birmingham: "It's hard to know when the government is going to be in a position where we can take it for granted that children will have access to music… I think it's time that the powers that be really got their act together."

He continued: "There's been too much talk and not enough action… It should be taken as read that our children learn music."

The Department for Education issued a response to Lloyd Webber's comments: "We want every child to be able to access music education. That is why music is compulsory under the national curriculum up to the age of 14 and we are introducing new, more rigorous GCSEs in the subject from 2016."